Against the backdrop of the continuous upgrading of global demand for healthy food, China's dehydrated cabbage industry is facing unprecedented development opportunities. As the world's largest producer of cabbage, China has established a full industry chain ecosystem covering research and development, production, and export through large-scale planting, technological innovation, and policy dividends. However, in the process of participating in international competition, the industry still faces challenges such as technological bottlenecks, standard alignment, and brand premiums. This article will systematically elaborate on the core competitiveness and development path of China's dehydrated cabbage foreign trade in 2025 from five aspects: industrial foundation, technological upgrading, market demand, policy orientation, and future trends.
The Chinese cabbage industry has formed a "three legged" planting pattern. Shandong, Henan, and Hebei provinces contribute more than 60% of the country's planting area, among which Shouguang and Lanling in Shandong have increased yield efficiency by 40% through intelligent greenhouses and precision irrigation technology. Data shows that by 2024, China's cabbage production will reach 26 million tons, accounting for 34.7% of the global total production, forming a vertical supply chain of "raw materials processing export". Leading companies such as Qingdao Lulin and Heze Jiahong have obtained organic certification from the European Union, covering markets in over 50 countries. Their freeze-dried products are priced at 128 euros/kg in international high-end supermarkets, demonstrating the quality competitiveness of Chinese dehydrated vegetables.
The intergenerational transition of dehydration technology is reshaping the industry value chain. Vacuum freeze-drying (FD) technology can retain over 95% of the nutritional content, and the product premium is three times that of traditional hot air drying products. A smart factory in Shandong has a daily processing capacity of over 200 tons of fresh vegetables, and the AI sorting system has reduced raw material loss from 8% to 2%. More noteworthy is the innovation of green processes: heat pump drying technology saves 40% energy and reduces carbon emissions by 55%. Dunhuang Seed Industry subsidiary has obtained EU carbon footprint certification with this technology and successfully entered climate sensitive markets such as Germany and France.
International market: The RCEP agreement has come into effect, accelerating the penetration of Southeast Asian markets. Vietnam's imports of dehydrated vegetables from China will increase by 48% in 2024. The FD factory invested and built by a Chinese enterprise in Indonesia has reduced labor costs by 60% through localized production, and its products are directly supplied to Southeast Asian instant noodle giants. In the high-end market, the annual growth rate of organic dried cabbage in Europe has reached 35%, and the market share of Chinese products in Japanese supermarkets has exceeded 45%.
Domestic market: The Healthy China strategy has spurred new consumer scenarios, and the probiotic kale crisps developed by Liangpinpuzi have increased repeat purchase rates by 2.3 times; Mixed vegetable crisps have achieved "3-hour delivery" through community group buying, with an average annual sales growth of 150%.
Develop export standards covering microbiological indicators and nutritional components, and by 2024, the number of EU plant quarantine certification enterprises will increase threefold compared to five years ago to 218;Trade facilitation: export tax rebates, international market development funds reduce enterprise costs, and Shandong enterprises' overseas revenue accounts for over 60%; In response to the new regulations of the European Union, JD's "Green Plan" has driven a 62% premium for carbon certified products, and the government has promoted a "planting processing carbon trading" closed loop, with an average carbon sink income of 200 yuan per mu.
2025 is a key milestone for China's dried cabbage industry to shift from quantity to quality. Relying on technological upgrades, policy empowerment, and model innovation, the industry is transforming from a "raw material supplier" to a "value chain integrator". In the next five years, as the global dehydrated vegetable market exceeds 400 billion yuan, China's contribution rate will exceed 50%. In this global competition, only by adhering to ecological, branding, and intelligent development can the green charm of "Chinese cabbage" bloom on the international stage.
Post time: Apr-03-2025